youtube-scraper

Scrape YouTube video metadata and subtitles via browser login and yt-dlp.

Updated Mar 5, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/LUKELEE-OneOnOne/youtube-scraper-openclaw --skill youtube-scraper
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: youtube-scraper
Source: https://github.com/LUKELEE-OneOnOne/youtube-scraper-openclaw/tree/main
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/LUKELEE-OneOnOne/youtube-scraper-openclaw --skill youtube-scraper

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Collects and organizes YouTube video metadata and subtitles without relying on external APIs, enabling offline processing and archiving.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Login-aware metadata scraping: verify YouTube login via a browser profile, then extract title, video ID, thumbnail, publish date, views, likes, channel, and channel stats.
  • Subtitle fallback chain: fetch creator-uploaded subtitles first, then auto-generated, then Whisper-based transcription as a last resort.
  • Local processing: runs entirely on your machine without extra API keys, producing structured results and local media artifacts.

Quick Start

Scrape metadata for a YouTube URL and download subtitles using the supported browser modes.

Frequently Asked Questions about youtube-scraper

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I scrape YouTube video metadata and subtitles locally without an API key?▼

You can scrape YouTube video metadata and subtitles locally by logging into YouTube via a browser profile and extracting data using yt-dlp, entirely without needing external API keys.

What is the best way to get YouTube transcripts when a video has no creator-uploaded subtitles?▼

For YouTube videos lacking creator-uploaded subtitles, the scraping workflow uses a fallback chain that fetches auto-generated subtitles first, then applies Whisper-based transcription as a last resort.

How does a browser profile login work when scraping YouTube video details for offline analysis?▼

Scraping YouTube video details uses a browser profile to verify your YouTube login before extraction, ensuring access to restricted content and accurate metadata retrieval for offline archiving.

Can I download YouTube thumbnails and channel statistics across multiple channels for archiving?▼

Yes, you can download localized YouTube thumbnails, video metadata, and channel statistics across multiple channels to compile structured results and local media artifacts for offline archiving.

Do I need to install Whisper to transcribe YouTube subtitles if auto-generated ones are missing?▼

Whisper-based transcription is required as a fallback mechanism to generate YouTube subtitles only if both creator-uploaded and auto-generated subtitles are unavailable during the scraping process.

What YouTube metadata fields can I extract using yt-dlp for offline processing?▼

Using yt-dlp for offline processing, you can extract the YouTube video title, video ID, thumbnail, publish date, views, likes, channel name, and channel statistics.